Portrait of Don Luis de Góngora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Don Luis de Góngora |
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| Artist | Diego Velázquez |
| Year | 1622 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 51 cm × 41 cm (20 in × 16 in) |
| Location | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston |
The Portrait of Don Luis de Góngora is a famous painting from 1622. It was created by the Spanish artist Diego Velázquez. The painting shows Luis de Góngora, who was a very important poet in Spain.
Velázquez painted this portrait using oil paints on a canvas. The painting is known for its special lighting effects, called chiaroscuro. This technique makes parts of the painting look very bright and other parts very dark. Velázquez learned this from artists like Caravaggio. He also used rich colors, similar to the style of Titian.
Today, you can see this painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Velázquez's teacher, Francisco Pacheco, helped him get the job to paint Góngora.
Other Versions of the Portrait
There are two other paintings that look like this portrait of Góngora. However, experts are not completely sure if Velázquez painted them. One of these paintings is in the Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid, Spain. The other is at the Prado Museum, also in Madrid.
Why This Painting is Important
Many people loved this portrait when it was first painted. A writer named Antonio Palomino said that "all the courtiers" (people who worked at the royal court) thought it was wonderful.
The painting was also used as a model for a print in a book. This print appeared on the front cover of a book about Góngora's work in 1630. This shows how famous the portrait was even back then.
Velázquez himself owned a portrait of Góngora when he died. It was listed in his belongings. This might have been the same painting or a copy of it.
See also
- List of works by Diego Velázquez
- In Spanish: Retrato de Luis de Góngora para niños
